


Serious as an Asthma Attack

by scaryfangirl2001



Category: Smallville
Genre: Asthma, F/M, M/M, Physical Abuse, Sexual Abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-27
Updated: 2019-08-26
Packaged: 2020-09-27 13:20:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20408407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scaryfangirl2001/pseuds/scaryfangirl2001
Summary: Lex is attacked and comes to the Kents for help





	Serious as an Asthma Attack

Clark and Jonathan have finished their nightly chores and washed their hands, so they are now being treated to a Martha Kent dinner. Dinner always starts at seven. Some may look at the spread and think she's gone overboard, but she's got two growing young men living under the roof. She enjoys cooking when it's being appreciated. There is steak, mashed potatoes with gravy, green beans, peas, and corn muffins. Clark expertly avoids the peas but takes heapings of everything else. This little trick doesn't go unnoticed by his parents, who merely share a glance and a quick smile.

After dinner, but prior to a blueberry pie dessert, Clark obeys his duties of cleaning the dishes. This task alternates every night, but the washer always gets the first slice of pie, so Clark figures it's a swift trade out. He knows better than to superspeed through this. Though his parents aren't behaving like helicopters above his head, he knows they're watching. To break through the silence, he remarks how bright the stars are tonight. While keeping on the topic for a few minutes, he asks his parents if it would be alright to sleep in the Fortress tonight.

At ten till two in the morning, the lights in the Kent house are off. Aside from the porch light, and the light outside the barn. Clark stirs in his sleep when he hears an old pickup backfiring and squeaking to a stop. The teenager isn't sure how far away the truck is, as sleep often manipulates his senses. He _can_ tell, however, that this truck has run out of gas somewhere. Thinking nothing of it, he drifts back to sleep.

Lex, on the other hand, is wide awake. He is wearing a gray tank top and lighter gray jogging pants – not that the color matters much. His outfit is splattered in blood, still wet, and most of it, not his. The partially dried blood on his knuckles aren't his either, though the blood stemming from cuts and partially formed scars flitted across his face is _definitely_ his. Lex's mouth is bleeding, though his nose has stopped. He has the makings of a black eye, and a handprint is visible around his throat.

His face looks as though someone had run it through a paper shredder. Or a glass window while racing down the Seine in a gondola. He's limping, as a bone is sticking from his left leg just below his knee. He struggles to not make any sounds as he attempts to come to a solution. The barn would be the best bet to find Clark, but the house would be the safe bet that his attacker wouldn't go for. During the day, the screen door in the back to the kitchen is never unlocked. He mentally crosses his fingers, and with luck, he stumbles inside.

His breathing picks up at the thought of Jonathan Kent brandishing a shotgun at the midnight intruder that he already doesn't like. Lex hasn't had asthma in thirteen years, so he doesn't carry around his inhaler anymore. It's in his bedroom nightstand, back at the castle. Diamond tears well in his eyes as he struggles to breathe, letting a small sob escape as he reaches for something to catch his fall - but instead falls into a chair and kicks over a table, as well as the lamp sitting on top.

The elder Kent instantly sit up in bed at the enormous crashing sound. Clark, as well, jolts from his couch in the barn. He rushes to the ground in only his pajama bottoms, where he notices the pickup from earlier with its lights still on. He races inside, finding Lex not moving and all cut up on the floor.

"Mom! Dad! Come here!"

Clark's horrified shouts bring his parents to their feet and down the stairs in an instant. When they arrive in the kitchen and turn on the lights, Clark is over Lex's body, studying his x-ray for a pulse. Martha looks terrified, and Jonathan turns pale.

"What happened, Clark?"

"I don't know. I found him like this." He looks up with worried tears in his eyes. "He has a pulse, but it's thready."

Martha tells the boys she's going to get First Aid, and she asks Clark to take him to the couch. Numbly, Clark is able to complete his task. Jonathan keeps a distance, unsure of what to do with the abused Luthor in his house. Minutes later, Martha is at Lex's side, cleaning up the awful mess. She turns to Jonathan, 'asking' that he bring down some of his old clothes to wear. He bites his tongue not to ask why. Clark remains worried, fixated on the hesitant way the older man's chest moves up and down.

When Martha has cleaned the wounds to the best of her ability, she asks for Clark to run to the kitchen for a brown paper bag. Jonathan returns with the clothes, and Clark is curious about the bag. Martha explains how he needs to lift Lex's head and hold the bag over Lex's mouth with his other hand so Lex can breathe easier. With Clark on this duty, Martha assigns herself and Jonathan to undress and redress the young Luthor. The tank top is relatively simple to remove, but Martha pauses on redressing so she can scrub the mess off his abdomen.

She and Jonathan quickly redress him in a flannel t-shirt, and then they move onto the pants. Seeing that Lex is wearing no underwear, Clark quickly turns away with flushed cheeks. Jonathan backs away with hands in surrender, claiming that Lex can keep his old jeans. Martha tuts at her boys but asks Clark to lift Lex's lower back. She gently pries off the jogging pants and pulls on the old jeans.

"It's safe now, Jonathan. Would you run up and bring him a belt? These jeans are too loose on him."

Jonathan nods and goes upstairs to fetch one. Clark's worry is lessening as he can hear the change in breathing. It sounds more like Lex is asleep than unconscious. A couple of minutes later, Jonathan returns with the belt in his hands, withholding a lecture – just in time for Lex to open his eyes. He pushes the bag out of his face and struggles to sit up. Martha calmly asks that he wait a moment before looking to her husband. Jonathan nears the couch, and Lex instinctively throws his hands over his face.

"Please not my face, Sir." He whispers hoarsely.

Jonathan looks at him a bit confused but stops just short of the couch. Lex opens his eyes to see him give the belt to Martha. The younger man then gapes, trying to gain more control of his voice. It comes out raspy but a little louder than a whisper.

"I never pegged you for the violent type, Ma'am."

"Violent?" She looks concerned, gently resting a hand on his non-broken leg.

He cannot suppress his flinching, but he carefully meets her eyes. His are holding back tears. "This was the safest place I could think of. You can hit me now."

All three Kents' eyes widen at the allowance. Martha looks offended.

"Lex, why would we hit you?"

His eyes drift to the belt in her hand in response, but she shakes her head in disagreement.

"Oh, God, Lex. No. The belt is for your pants. They're a little big on you."

Lex blinks and then looks down to find his new attire. He looks between the three Kents. Clark looks apprehensive, realization dawning over what Lex had been referring to earlier. Martha hasn't lost her alarmed look, but most of it has melted into concern. Jonathan is keeping his gaze focused just over Lex's shoulder, and there's some embarrassment enclosed on his features as well. Lex mentally smirks, thinking of what the man must've thought seeing that Lex goes commando. Outwardly, he nods to the man.

"Thank you, Mr. Kent."

His voice still crackles, but it is coming back. He feels a rush of wind and notices the elder Kents' matching admonishing glances when Clark suddenly holds up a glass of cold water.

"I know it's not fancy like La Croix." Clark babbles when Lex doesn't immediately take the glass. "But think of it as Kent Famous tap water."

Lex takes it with an amused smile. "I _do_ drink from the tap, Clark. Thank you." He takes a long sip, handing it back before looking to Martha. "Can I put on that belt now?"

"Of course, Honey."

Lex momentarily freezes at the pet name. He and his family had never really been loving people. The mere thought the single word brings him to a fit of tears. He tries to brush them away long enough to put on the belt, but he only manages one loop before succumbing to his repressed emotions. Martha and Clark are instantly pulling him to a seated position and moving to either side of him. Jonathan, meanwhile, is curious.

When Lex can finally breathe once more, Jonathan asks bluntly, "What happened tonight?"

Lex takes another sip of water. "The abridged version, Sir, is I turned down Lionel's proposition, bought his possessions, had a fight, was nearly killed, may have killed him, and had an asthma attack after coming here."

Jonathan finally walks over. "And what about the _unabridged_ version?"

Lex sighs dejectedly. "Lionel came over around four o'clock. I had him thinking that I was planning on turning Cadmus Labs into pure kryptonite research since finding out that the meteors accelerated my mother's death." Clark sends a guilty look to his parents, but Lex continues. "He proposed that with the LuthorCorp foundation, we could appraise any land belonging to the citizens of Smallville for our cause.

"I asked him if he was sure about the fundings and told him to check the stock, which he did... and he saw that he was bankrupt. That _I_ and my secret project had bankrupted him. That I already destroyed Cadmus Lab and locked away my research. And that I had started my own company not necessarily under the Luthor name, LexCorp. My name is on everything except one of the penthouses in Dubai. I left that one under his name. The cars, the castle, the credit cards have all been turned over to me.

"I was winning. But Lionel has never truly loved me. He could play it up for the press. I'm sure you all remember that time at the plant with Earl Jenkins and Clark's field trip?" The Kents nod, wondering where this is going. "When we got back in the castle, he berated me for trying to help. Roughed me up a bit and told me I should have died. That I should be glad I have some angel looking over me to save me from each time I should have died."

He pauses to look over at Jonathan. "Kinda like you said, Sir, I could just up and die, and he wouldn't shed a tear."

Jonathan looks affronted. "I never said that."

"Yes, you did." All three respond. Martha and Clark are dejected, but Lex's voice is growing stronger as he speaks. "When you were hit by the Nicodemus. The flower only loosened your inhibitions. So, that remark and the belch in my face was all you."


End file.
